Former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore believes that Wayne Rooney should be dropped from England's Euro 2012 squad, arguing that his inclusion would send an 'awful message' to the other players in the team.
Collymore, who formed an excellent partnership with Robbie Fowler at Liverpool from 1995-1997, didn't mince his words on the subject:
"I think it would be grossly unfair to some of the other players to have a player there that takes up a berth in a tournament for virtually all of the group games with the expectation and hope that we get in the second stages.
"We shouldn't be taking Wayne Rooney to the European Championships. It would send an awful message...to youngsters like Danny Welbeck, Ashley Young and Stewart Downing if they think 'well we have got us through the group stages but the golden boy [comes back].
"Bearing in mind that he’s not helped us to a semi-final, he’s not helped us to a final; he’s not won anything with England, Why should Wayne Rooney walk back into the England side?"
"We’re basically saying that Wayne Rooney is going to be the difference between beating a Grade B or grade A European team when I don’t think he’s necessarily shown that in tournament play.
"We saw that at the World Cup where we start getting too concerned with the golden generation, players that haven't done it, and maybe it's an opportunity to give somebody else a try."
I totally agree. England need to forget about Rooney and start building a team *now* that can play effectively without him. If Rooney goes to the Euros, the media circus over him will be a distraction, and the focus will inevitably be on an individual, not the team.
Rooney brought this on himself. Getting sent off in a World Cup quarter final is bad enough; if hasn't learn from that (which clearly, he hasn't), then he's never going to learn.
Jaimie Kanwar
Collymore, who formed an excellent partnership with Robbie Fowler at Liverpool from 1995-1997, didn't mince his words on the subject:
"I think it would be grossly unfair to some of the other players to have a player there that takes up a berth in a tournament for virtually all of the group games with the expectation and hope that we get in the second stages.
"We shouldn't be taking Wayne Rooney to the European Championships. It would send an awful message...to youngsters like Danny Welbeck, Ashley Young and Stewart Downing if they think 'well we have got us through the group stages but the golden boy [comes back].
"Bearing in mind that he’s not helped us to a semi-final, he’s not helped us to a final; he’s not won anything with England, Why should Wayne Rooney walk back into the England side?"
"We’re basically saying that Wayne Rooney is going to be the difference between beating a Grade B or grade A European team when I don’t think he’s necessarily shown that in tournament play.
"We saw that at the World Cup where we start getting too concerned with the golden generation, players that haven't done it, and maybe it's an opportunity to give somebody else a try."
I totally agree. England need to forget about Rooney and start building a team *now* that can play effectively without him. If Rooney goes to the Euros, the media circus over him will be a distraction, and the focus will inevitably be on an individual, not the team.
Rooney brought this on himself. Getting sent off in a World Cup quarter final is bad enough; if hasn't learn from that (which clearly, he hasn't), then he's never going to learn.
Jaimie Kanwar
"If Rooney goes to the Euros, the media circus over him will be a distraction, and the focus will inevitably be on an individual, not the team."
ReplyDeleteYou know what, that wouldn't be such a bad thing would it..? The other players can then focus on the football leaving the media whores to go to town over Rooney while they do their job in peace...give it a thought
Unfortunately the money men won't let that happen.
ReplyDeleteStevie G is the only player who deserves it. Everyone from
ReplyDeleteChelsea, including Lampard, play football for the money and not for the love of
the game. Gerrard is the definition of a true footballer.